At Jude’s Barbershop, we aim to provide you with the best haircuts and barbershop services available. But there’s more to it than that. We are a unique business in the areas that we serve. Giving back to the next generation of barbers and hair stylists at the cosmetology and barber schools is very rewarding for us as a local Michigan business. It’s a real win/win/win relationship with the schools, their students, and Jude’s Barbershop. The school wins by us providing a class on a specific subject that their students may not experience in school. We offer real-world credibility because we teach what we know and what we know is what we do every day- barber shop services, men’s haircuts, boys haircuts, face shaves, beard trims, scalp treatments, nose, and ear waxing, etc. The students win as they get exposure to actual barber stylists who are making a living in the profession they will soon join. Jude’s Barbershop wins by having very positive exposure with students who are looking for a great place to practice their new skills.
A Small Local Business
First, this is a business that has a specific presence in the local community and history here. Our roots run deep in the state of Michigan. Our family, the Martins, and Gallaghers, came to Michigan from Ireland and originally settled on Macanac Island. Later they relocated to Beaver Island and started a thriving commercial fishing business. The Martins lived in Petosky, Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, and the Greater Grand Rapids Area. Our family story is similar and unique to most American families. Most come from Europe and settle in all areas of the US, learn a trade or start a business or both. Our family’s love of Michigan runs deep as we’re all mostly still in Michigan. We love the great lakes, the seasons, and the family-friendly interactions with our fellow citizens. Michigan has so much to offer; boating on Lake Michigan, fly fishing for Steelhead on the Pere Marquette River, snowboarding, and asking at Nubs Nob in the Petosky area.
A Family Affair
Jude’s Barbershop is a family affair and 5 members of our family currently work in the day-to-day operation of the business. Each one of our barber shops still has that family feeling as each shops team of barbers and stylists are like a small work family. Throughout Michigan around Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Portage, Grand Haven, Zeeland, Allendale, Ada, Byron Center, Caledonia, and other areas of the state, we are still that small family business we started in 2005 in a small shop on Ottawa Ave in downtown Grand Rapids. Fun Fact: Our first barber shop employed for many years the mother (one of the nicest persons) of a very famous NBA basketball player.
Keeping a local small family feel is something very important to us. It’s not something that we want to lose, as you’ll see when you come in. Of course, maintaining anything other than the status quo takes work, and making barber shop services personal to each client is who we are and who we’ll always be.
We Know Hair
You also see that these family members that are involved include people with real hair and barber shop experience that’s important when putting together the best barbershop business around. We partner with men’s hair product suppliers like Redken, Billy Jealousy, Paul Mitchell, Surface, and Pulp Riot to provide amazing products to our clients which also helps these suppliers with their businesses.
Some of us have those credentials in barbershop services, and others of us are involved in the clerical side of the business. What it comes down to, though, is that we have staying power, because of our family business model and we’ve been able to build something that’s uniquely helpful to our visitors.
Take a look at the unique types of haircuts and barber shop services that we offer. We also do waxing and other types of grey blending color services for making you look your best. Get a great style around Michigan and come down to a barbershop that knows the value of the local business experience!
Locks of Love Donations
Another way we give back or how we facilitate giving back is by helping clients donate their long hair to Locks of Love. We’ve participated in the Locks of Love program since we opened our first barber shop. If you have longer hair and thinking of getting it cut off, please consider donating it and we can help you. We’ll give you a great men’s haircut and then take care of the rest.
Barber Shop Evolution
We’ve been growing and evolving with the times to offer a modern barber shop experience to locals and visitors. Evolving is very important as you want to make sure your skills are current and you can deliver any trending hairstyle, and offer any new service that clients want. We think it’s important, not just for the business’s success (although undoubtedly, that’s important, too!) but for the value that we bring to our clients in each of our Michigan communities where we have a barber shop.
